No provision to close down toll plazas after recovery of capital cost, says Govt

New Delhi The government on Thursday said there are no tolled national highways in the country that have completely recovered the capital cost.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said there is no provision for closing of user fee plaza after completion of concession period/recovery of capital cost as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.

"There are no tolled national highways (Public/ Private funded) in the country of which capital cost has been completely recovered," he said.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) are primarily responsible for the construction of national highways and expressways across the country.

Replying to a separate question, Gadkari said road safety audit of all National Highways projects has been made mandatory at all stages of design, construction, operation and maintenance through third-party auditors/experts.

Responding to other questions, the minister said the road ministry has taken up 321 NH projects in a length of about 8,544 km amounting to Rs 1,49,758 crore for improvement of important tourist / religious connectivity.